"Taking care of the FOODBALL through science" was the theme of the Combined Crops, Soils, Horticulture and Weeds Congress 2011. The Congress was held at the University of Pretoria (UP) from 17 to 20 January 2011.

The congress was officially opened by the UP Vice-Chancellor, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, followed by keynote addresses by four experts in the fields of soil science and plant production. Dr John Purchase delivered an address on “Science as the driver of the agro-food value chain” while Prof Martin Fey shared his insights on “The philosophy of soil science”. The third keynote address on the opening day was by Prof Jules Janick who shared some light on “Fruit breeding: past, present, and future” with Prof Gerhard Verdoorn who concluded the keynote addresses with his viewpoints on “Addressing the challenges of misinformation and anti-pesticide lobbying in South Africa”.

JOHANNESBURG, 13 January 2011 (IRIN) - After a record maize harvest, a bid by South African farmers to form a pool to export the surplus – enough to feed its food insecure neighbours, Swaziland and Lesotho, for several years – has raised questions about the future of the crop and the manufacture of biofuel.

The country’s Competition Commission rejected the bid on 11 January. "We wanted to start a debate in the country. Surpluses of this magnitude are unusual; food prices are going up globally. We have suggested the farmers consider storing the surplus,” the Commission's Oupa Bodipe told IRIN.

SA has little to fear from spiralling global food prices in the short term, said John Purchase, chief executive at the Agribusiness Chamber, a sectoral body representing agribusinesses and companies serving primary food producers.

Figures from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) this week show food prices last month reached their highest levels ever, surpassing those of the 2008 global crisis that sparked unrest in several countries.

Shoprite Checkers, Woolworths and Pick n Pay, have expressed concern over speculation that a water crisis is looming in South Africa. The three major retailers say they have put in place rigorous measures to ensure their products are safe for consumption and are free of any potential contamination from polluted water supplies.

A Shoprite spokesman said yesterday that suppliers to the group’s fresh produce procurement division, Freshmark, had to comply with a standard of certification regarding farming practices, which included regulations on irrigation water.